Question

3．1 If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands，you might have a hard time believing the news：e-mail is on the decline．
At first blush，that might seem to be the case．The incoming generation，after all，doesn't do e-mail．Oh，they might have an account．They use it only as we would a fax machine：as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites．They rarely check it，though．
Today's instant electronic memos-such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages-are more direct，more concentrated，more efficient．They go without the salutation（称呼语）and the signoff；we already know the"to"and"from．"Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason：more signal，less noise and less time．This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated．Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later，I can now send you an unobtrusive，easily-consumed message that you can read-and respond to-on the go．
The decline of e-mail corresponds neatly to the dawn of the mobile era．Instantaneous（及时）written messages are different．These are neatly tailored to fit in just about any time：before a movie，in a taxi，waiting for lunch．And because these notes are invariably brief，they're a natural for smartphone typing．With these formats，you also have control over who can correspond with you，which you usually don't in e-mail．And especially on Facebook，instant messaging can take on the character of a chat room，where several people can talk at once．
Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history？Not necessarily．E-mail still has certain advantages．Whereas tweets and texts feel ephemeral-you read them，then they're gone，into an endless string，e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file，search and return to later．It's easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications：agreements，important news，longer explanations．
So，e-mail won't go away completely．Remember，we've been through a transition like this not so long ago：when e-mail was on the rise，people said that postal mail was dead．That's not how it works．Postal mail found its smaller niche，and so will e-mail．Technology rarely replaces an institution completely； it just adds new avenues．
E-mail down，messaging up．Now go clean out your in-box．
 
62．What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts？C
A．Contact close friends
B．Send long messages
C．Fill in some forms
D．Communicate with their colleagues
63．Paragraphs 3-4 are important to the passage in that theyB．
A．illustrate the preferences of the young generation
B．explain the possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail
C．reveal the rapid development of e-communication channels
D．offer evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages
64．What does the underlined word"ephemeral"in paragraph 5 mean？D
A．Conveniently-sent          B．Randomly-written
C．Hardly readable               D．Short-lived
65．What does the author think of e-mail being replaced？A
A．Negative            B．Indifferent         C．Ambiguous        D．Doubtful．

Answer 1

分析 本文是一篇社会文化类阅读，属于议论文，如果您的收件箱目前正在报告数百或数千的未读邮件，您可能很难相信这个消息：电子邮件的使用正在下降．本文以此展开谈论，主要讲述了电子邮件使用下降这一现象．

解答 62．C．细节理解题．根据The incoming generation，after all，doesn't do e-mail．Oh，they might have an account．They use it only as we would a fax machine：as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites．They rarely check it，though．可知，他们喜欢用他们的电子邮件帐户填写一些表单．故选C．
63．B．推理判断题．根据Today's instant electronic memos-such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages-are more direct，more concentrated，more efficient．以及The decline of e-mail corresponds neatly to the dawn of the mobile era．可知，三四两段主要讲述了今天的即时电子备忘录（如发短信，Facebook和Twitter消息）更直接，更集中，更有效率，以及移动电话的普及造成电子邮件使用的下降．故选B．
64．D．词义猜测题．根据上下文内容可知，Whereas tweets and texts feel ephemeral-you read them，then they're gone，into an endless string，e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file，search and return to later．句意为而推文和短信很短暂，你读了他们，然后他们走了，成为一个无尽的字符串，电子邮件仍然感觉像你有的东西，你可以提交，搜索和返回到从前．故ephemeral意为短暂存留的．故选D．
65．A．推理判断题．根据文章内容，尤其是So，e-mail won't go away completely．可知，作者认为电子邮件不会消失，他对此持消极反对态度．故选A．

点评 本文是一篇社会文化类阅读，题目涉及多道主旨大意题，细节理解题，推理判断题．做题时学生应仔细阅读原文，把握文章主要内容，联系文章上下文内容并结合所给选项含义，从中选出正确答案，一定要做到有理有据，切忌胡乱猜测．